Thursday, August 14, 2014

Animation Work In And Around Los Angeles

Per request, we've gathered information about union animation work going on in L.A. I've had assistance from staff and members, and have tried to be fairly comprehensive, but I'm sure there are gaps, omissions, and (horrors!) an error or three.

Feel free to chime in regarding non-union or union studio projects that I've missed, because I know I'm not up to speed on all the stuff out there. ...

Bento Box

Bob's Burgers -- Prime time show well into new season
Brickleberry -- Comedy Central show near end of season
Border Town -- New Macfarlane show in the front half of series order.

Cartoon Network:

Over the Garden Wall -- Micro series that's now completed
The Powerpuff Girls (Rebooted) -- Not yet in production
Adventure Time -- Has greenlight for Season #6
Regular Show -- Also greenlit for Season #6
Rick And Morty -- Adult Swim series -- non-union -- done at Starburns Industries
Uncle Grandpa -- 2nd season underway
Clarence -- 2nd season underway
We Bare Bears -- New series working on 1st season
Mixels -- A Lego property done as series
Ben 10 -- Winding down, but up for a future reboot
Steven Universe -- ongoing
Black Dynamite -- ongoing.

Disney Television Animation

Wander Over Yonder -- Okayed for a 2nd season
The 7D -- Solid ratings, should get 2nd season pickup
Mickey Mouse shorts -- Produced in Canada, with pre-production in Glendale
Gravity Falls -- Now wrapping up 2nd season
Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja -- Pre-production at Titmouse (dba Robin Red Breast)
Sophia the 1st -- Third Season for this hit show
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero -- Season #1
Jake and the Neverland Pirates -- 4th and likely last season
Pickle and Peanut -- Long development time for this series
Sheriff Calley's Wild West Show -- Pre-production at Wild Canary Animation
Miles From Tomorrowland -- Pre-production at Wild Canary Animation
Star Vs. the Forces of Evil -- In work.

DisneyToons Studios

Various shorts and features in development. Recent layoffs of 18 staffers.

DreamWorks Animation

Home -- Feature that's in the home stretch.
Penguins of Madagascar -- Feature largely produced in India, some work in Glendale
B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations -- In development and production
Kung Fu Panda 3 -- Production work largely in China. (Most story work on DWA features is done in California/Glendale).
Croods 2 -- In development
How To Train Your Dragon 3 -- In early development.
(Various Chinese DreamWorks Animation projects in story development at DWA's Glendale studio, also others. Some story work at PDI in Redwood City. Rolling layoffs of 28 staffers.)

DreamWorks Television Animation

How to Train Your Dragon/Riders of Berk -- In midst of 58 episode order, some for Netflix
Turbo Fast -- Netflix series with pre-production at Titmouse/Robin Red Breast
King Julien -- Large Netflix series order
Puss in Boots -- Another Netflix show
Veggie Tales in the House -- Lots of Netflix episodes
Dinotrux -- Supervised by Jeff DeGrandis, late of "Dora"
The Croods -- Sizable Netflix order
Mr. Peabody and Sherman -- 78-episode order.

Film Roman

The Simpsons -- Prime time veteran deep into its twenty-somethings season

Fox Animation

Family Guy -- Working on latest, slightly shorter-than-normal season
American Dad -- Engaged with the first season of shows original to TBS. If you didn't know, it has departed Fox Broadcasting.

Hasbro

Stretch Armstrong -- Ongoing
Transformers -- Ongoing
Rescue Bots -- Ongoing.

Marvel Animation

Avengers Assemble -- Ongoing
Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. -- Ongoing
Ultimate Spiderman -- produced, and now completed, at Film Roman.

Nickelodeon

Spongebob Squarepants -- Now that movie is complete, could be new episodes at some future date
Fairly Odd Parents -- On hiatus, most crew members on other projects
The Loud House -- Creating Season #1
The Legend of Korra -- Wrapping, with crew now on other shows (and has shifted on on-line distribution)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -- Now on its 3rd season
Sanjay and Craig -- Doing its 2nd season
Shimmer and Shine -- 1st season
Bad Seeds -- Working on Season #1
Dora the Explorer -- Will relaunch in 4th quarter
Wallykazam! -- Working on Season #2.

Paramount Animation

Various projects in development on Paramount studio lot (Hollywood).

Sony Pictures Animation

Popeye -- In development (production in Vancouver).
The Smurfs -- In development (production in Vancouver)
Hotel Transylvania 2 -- In development (production in Vancouver)
Kazorn -- In development.
(Various other projects in work)


Universal Cartoon Studios

Land Before Time -- In the process of becoming.
Curious George -- Maybe more episodes toward the end of the year.

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Big Hero 6 -- In the last couple of months of production.
Zootopia -- In development
Project in development -- title removed at request of Diz Co.
Project in development -- title removed at request of Diz Co.

Warner Animation Group

Various projects in development on the Warner Bros. main lot. (Pre-production only).

Warner Bros. Animation

Wabbit -- Latest series incarnation of Bugs
Mike Tyson Mysteries -- Warner series on Adult Swim
Batman Direct-To-Video Feature
Scooby Doo series -- The franchise that never dies.

On top of the union animation work, there are a number of non-signator facilities doing production, including ADHD (Animation Domination High Def - Fox affiliated), Titmouse Animation, Moonscoop (formerly Mike Young Productions), Rough Draft Studios, Renegade Animation, and Cosmic Toast.

Reel FX, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, has a non-signator satellite studio in Santa Monica which is currently animating feature projects.

Besides traditional animation, there are a number of small visual effects houses in the east San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica/Venice/Culver City, boutique effects houses that work on t.v. and movie special effects. If and when California increases tax incentives for television, movies and VFX, there should be improvements to this segment of the entertainment business. We anticipate some visual effects work returning to the state.

11 comments:

David said...

I'm curious about something. You wrote:

"Disney Television Animation

Wander Over Yonder -- Okayed for a 2nd season
The 7D -- Solid ratings, should get 2nd season pickup
Mickey Mouse shorts -- Produced in Canada, with pre-production in Glendale
Gravity Falls -- Now wrapping up 2nd season"


Why the special designation for the Mickey Mouse shorts as *Produced in Canada, with pre-production in Glendale" ? Aren't all the shows actually animated in a foreign country with pre-production in Glendale ? Or are you saying there's animation being made in the U.S.A. on the other shows such as Gravity Falls , Wander Over Yonder , The 7D , Sophia , and the rest ?

Steve Hulett said...

With the exception of a handful of projects (parts of the first Planes, episodes of Fosters), most t.v. animation work is done outside California.

I highlighted the Mouse shorts because they're not television episodics, but stand-alones. And really the first Mickey Mouse shorts -- to my knowledge -- to be animated outside Southern California.

But tv pre-production work has never been stronger in L.A. (We have reports that Cartoon Network is restructuring so that more money can be freed up for making cartoons, certainly a good thing.) We don't anticipate the pace of Southern California's (pre) production to diminish anytime soon.

N/A said...

I've got a few questions:

1. Why did you say the 4th season of Jake and the Never Land Pirates may be its last? Is it getting cancelled?

2. There have been conflicting reports on the number of personnel who got laid off from Disneytoon Studios. Variety reported there were 16 people, Deadline said 17, and now you're saying it's 18. Which one is it?

3. When you say that production has completed on Ultimate Spider-Man, does that mean it got cancelled and there won't be a 4th season?

4. Is The Land Before Time series going to continue where it left off in 2008 or are we talking about an entirely new production/reboot?

5. How come you didn't mention Nathan Greno's Giants as one of the movies in development at WDAS? Does that mean it got shelved or pushed back?

Steve Hulett said...

1. The scuttlebutt around Diz TVA is that Jake is heading into its last season. (At least, that's what crew members tell me.) Disney generally caps the number of shows of any given series. Obviously there are exceptions.

2. My information is eighteen. Not all of these layoffs have happened yet, they're rolling layoffs. (And come on, you're quibbling over 16? Or 18? You're actually serious?)

3. Crew has been laid off from Ultimate Spider Man. My information is the show has wrapped, but understand there have been many iterations of Spider Man in both animated and live-action iterations. There can always be more.

4. I have no idea.

5. You didn't read the top paragraph, did you? ... "I'm sure there are gaps, omissions, and (horrors!) an error or three."

Jennifer Nelson said...

I would love for you to add Star Vs. the Forces of Evil from Disney TVA! The hard working crew has been in pre-production for over a year and just featured the main title at comic-con! It is in it's first season, set to premiere in early 2015! Thanks!

Unknown said...

Wait...shouldn't Steven Universe be on the list? It does have a second season along the way, right?

John Dorian said...

Black Dynamite and Steven Universe are being made at CN Studios as well. I think you should list them. And how is Rick and Morty a series made by CN Studios?

John Dorian said...

And is Mixel a actual long form series, or is it done....completely gone from production?

tservo2049 said...

I assume "Croods 3" should actually be "Croods 2"?

Also curious that four DWA movies set to release before Croods 2 aren't on the list: Boss Baby, Trolls, Captain Underpants and the untitled-again Mumbai musical.

Are any of those 4 being worked on in Glendale? Or are they being done up in Redwood City?

Steve Hulett said...

Black Dynamite and Steven Universe are being made at CN Studios as well. I think you should list them. And how is Rick and Morty a series made by CN Studios?

"Black Dynamite" is on Adult Swim, "Steven Universe" on CN.

"Rick and Morty," as stated above, appears on "Adult Swim" (part of Cartoon Network) and is produced -- as we say -- by Starburns industries.

Unknown said...

1. Do you know why Greig Weisman has left Star Wars: Rebeles? Is he involved into another projecy or ?

2. Do you know if Disney/Marvel is interested in a new X-Men animated series ?

3. Beware the Batman was canceled (well, not official yet) because of the bad ratings or the toys weren't selling ? Does every action animated series from DC is going to air on CN ?

Sorry if i've asked a lot of questions.

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